Legends, Stars + Up-and-Comers April 17-22

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Posted Feb. 2, 2013 at 3:15 AM

Posted Feb. 2, 2013 at 3:15 AM

Portsmouth -- The Music Hall has just announced the return of the Portsmouth Singer Songwriter Festival to take place Wednesday through Sunday April 17-21, at its two theaters in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Expanding its focus to five days this year, the festival covers a spectrum of acts under the banner of Legends, Stars + Up-and-Comers—and adds new dimensions this year with a storied rock & roll photojournalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning rock poet. Sponsored by Martingale Wharf with media partner, 92.5 The River, a fabulous festival lineup includes round robins, parties, panels, rock poets, and raconteurs, with new events added every day. It kicks off with poet Paul Muldoon on Wednesday night, followed by a teen and youth round robin on Thursday night; the Dirty Projectors on Friday night; an Innovation + Leadership Forum on eco-touring and Joe Stevens rock photography presentation on Saturday followed by John Prine with openers Sarah Jarosz and Chris Trapper Saturday night; and finally a Seacoast singer songwriter round robin on Sunday followed by a double bill with Aimee Mann and Sharon Van Etten Sunday night!

Says Patricia Lynch, Executive Director of The Music Hall and PSSF lead curator and producer: “The second year of the Portsmouth Singer Songwriter Festival has expanded! This celebration of originality and creativity is so suited to the vibe of Portsmouth. The parties for pass holders promise to sparkle, and the mix of locals and legends makes for a rich medley. We are so enthusiastic about the promise of this festival for Portsmouth and we welcome our partners, our artists, and most especially our pass holders and audiences. Your support is critical to our shared success.”

Thérèse LaGamma, Deputy Director of Programming and Curator and co-producer of the PSSF adds, “The number of artists that wanted to be involved this year has been staggering! I am excited by the mix of emerging and established artists. The Dirty Projectors and Sharon Van Etten have been on my radar for some time. Both Aimee Mann and Sharon are fans of each others’ music so to have the chance to bring them together is a thrill. REVERB is a company based in Portland that helps artists in building tours that are sustainable. Joe Stevens has managed to capture many exciting moments in music history on camera. I’ve enjoyed this opportunity to co-produce this year’s festival!”

Kathleen Soldati, Director of Marketing, adds, “As a long-time fan of local legend Ben Baldwin, I’m particularly thrilled that Ben will be here leading his trio in the Friday night party at the Loft that leads up to his son Nat Baldwin taking the stage at the Historic Theater with his band, Dirty Projectors – a great generational story!”

5 Day Festival Pass includes Preferred seating & tickets to all concerts and events, exclusive access to all parties, and exclusive pre-show access to lobbies

Silver pass: $235 (EARLY BIRD, February only: $199)

3 Day Pass includes Preferred seating & tickets to all concerts and events Friday-Sunday only, and exclusive access to all parties

Bronze pass: $165 (EARLY BIRD, February only: $150)

2 Day Pass includes Preferred seating and tickets to all concerts and events Saturday & Sunday only, and access to Festival Bash at Martingale Wharf

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Writers in the Loft: Paul Muldoon

Wednesday, April 17, 7pm

Book: The Word on the Street: Rock Lyrics

Ticket package: $37 (members $34). Includes reserved seat, book ($23, hardcover), bar beverage; author presentation, Q+A, and book signing meet-and-greet. Individual tickets to events at the Loft are only available at the door beginning one hour before show time.

This Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, professor and occasional rock guitarist has been described as “the most significant English-language poet born since the Second World War.” But Muldoon also has a passion for rock and roll, collaborating with the late, legendary songwriter Warren Zevon. In his new collection, The Word on the Street: Rock Lyrics, he offers little or no distinction between poetry and rock songs, finding the common ground between W.B. Yeats, T.S. Eliot, Buddy Holly and Bruce Springsteen.

"The most sophisticated and original poet of his generation."–The New York Review of Books

Series Sponsor Writers in the Loft: Citizens Bank

Youth and Teen Round Robin

Thursday April 18 4-6pm the Loft $5

Individual tickets to events at the Loft are only available at the door beginning one hour before show time.

Students from our Explore + Learn Partner of the Year, Portsmouth Music and Arts Center (PMAC) will showcase their songwriting craft in Round Robin format. Some of the PMAC students attended a songwriting workshop with the amazing Melissa Ferrick, prior to her November shows in The Loft. Hosted by PMAC Executive Director, Russ Grazier.

FRIDAY APRIL 19

Friday Festival Party

Ben Baldwin Trio, featuring Kent Allyn and Jesse Williams

Friday, April 18 5pm Loft

Gold and Silver Passholders

Dirty Projectors

Friday April 19, 8pm Historic Theater

Tickets: $44, $32

Fresh from their sold out Carnegie Hall debut, this indie-rock band with global reach (collaborations with David Byrne and Bjork) and local roots (Kittery’s Nat Baldwin) made it into Rolling Stone Magazine’s top 50 Best Albums of 2012 for Swing Lo Magellan. Here is Rolling Stone: “David Longstreth stuffs a whole lot of musical exploration into his three-minute songs: power chords set against shifting meters; psychedelic dissonances that nod to Jimi Hendrix and Béla Bartók; loads of mind-bending harmony vocals. "I boogie down gargoyle streets," croons Longstreth. “It's worth following him, wherever he goes.”

“undeniable party music” – Rolling Stone

SATURDAY, APRIL 20

Innovation + Leadership Forum: REVERB on Eco-Friendly Touring

Saturday April 20, 2013 2pm Loft

Individual tickets to events at the Loft are only available at the door beginning one hour before show time.

Josh Glasheen, Manager of Tours and Sponsorship at Reverb, will discuss how the group educates and engages musicians and their fans to take action toward a more sustainable future.

Rock photography digital exhibit and Q&A with Joe Stevens

Saturday April 20, 2013 4pm Loft

$5

Individual tickets to events at the Loft are only available at the door beginning one hour before show time.

This raconteur and photojournalist will share stories and digital images from his life photographing some of the music industry’s major artists.

John Prine, with openers Sarah Jarosz and Chris Trapper

Saturday April 20, 7:30pm Historic Theater

Tickets: $70, $65

One of the most influential songwriters of his generation and one of Bob Dylan’s favorite writers, this Grammy Award winner (Best Contemporary Folk album Missing Year) is best known for penning Bonnie Raitt’s hit, Angel from Montgomery and other signature tunes: Illegal Smile, Sam Stone, Paradise, Hello in There and his personal favorite, Far From Me. A recent tribute album of his songs featured members of the modern folk revival including The Avett Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show and Justin Townes Earle.

John Prine: “A critically acclaimed singer/songwriter who has gone from solo acoustic folk to hard country to rockabilly to soft rock, all the while maintaining his hardheaded vision of white proletarian America.” - Rolling Stone

“One of America’s best singer/songwriters” – New York Times

Opener: Grammy nominated Sarah Jarosz has as rich a skill set as anybody in acoustic music. She plays, not just one instrument, but enough of them to be a one-woman string band; mandolin, octave mandolin, claw hammer banjo and guitar.

“one of acoustic music’s most promising young talents – a singer songwriter and mandolin and banjo prodigy with the taste and poise to strike that rare balance of commercial and critical success” – New York Times

Opener: Chris Trapper’s music can best be described as lyrically driven roots-pop with a knack for telling everyday stories filled with extraordinary characters. The New York Times calls his work “classic pop perfection.”

SUNDAY APRIL 21, 2013

Seacoast Singer Songwriter Round Robin

Sunday April 21, 2013 2-4:30pm The Loft $10

Individual tickets to events at the Loft are only available at the door beginning one hour before show time.

Festival passholders and artists are invited to our Festival Bash in one of the most glamorous waterside settings on the Seacoast - prepare to be wowed!

Aimee Mann and Sharon Van Etten

Sunday April 21, 7:30 pm Historic Theater

Tickets: $56; $49

Aimee Mann is known for the New Wave band she co-founded, Til Tuesday, with the hit, Voices Carry. This rock singer/songwriter guitarist/bassist launched her solo career in 1989 which has included scoring and taking small roles in acclaimed independent films from The Big Lebowski to Magnolia—for the latter she earned a Best Song Oscar and Grammy Award nomination for Save Me. Her latest (eighth) album, Charmer, includes a duet with James Mercer of The Shins. “[Charmer] is a sunny turn for her…evokes some untroubled, late 1970s convergence of soft rock and new wave…goes down so easily”—New York Times

Sharon Van Etten was born in New Jersey, and cultivated in Nashville. This Brooklyn based singer/songwriter has planted a bittersweet neofolk flag that has garnered her fans of both folk and country music. She has been hailed by NPR and the Nashville Scene for having one of the most original voices of late, “a remarkable, arresting voice” (Bomb Magazine). And, her songs, the best of which are featured on her third and latest album, Tramp, have received critical acclaim – Tramp is one of Rolling Stone's favorite albums of the year .

“Beguiling…darling of indie rock…mesmerizing” – New York Times

Festival Sponsor

Martingale Wharf

Festival Media Partner

92.5 The River

Music Hall Season Sponsor

River House Restaurant

To purchase passes and tickets

The Portsmouth Singer Songwriter Festival will take place at The Music Hall Wednesday—Sunday April 17-21, 2013. Early bird passes go on sale to members at First Saturdays for Members 10am, Sat., 2/2. Early bird Passes on sale to public noon Fri., 2/16. Passes are not available online. Early bird pricing is good for the month of February only. Individual tickets on sale to members 10 am Sat., 3/2; to public noon Sat., 3/9. Individual tickets to events at the Loft are only available at the door beginning one hour before show time. Contact The Music Hall box office at 28 Chestnut Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, by phone at 603-436-2400, or online at www.themusichall.org.

First Saturdays for Members

Special ticket on-sales, early-bird box office hours, merchandise discounts, and micro-curator talks the first Saturday of every month! On Saturday February 2, the Box Office at the Historic Theater will open at 10am, with bagels, muffins and coffee in the Founders Lobby, and a micro-talk by Curator Thérèse LaGamma. Our Membership Coordinator will also be there if you’d like to sign up or renew your membership. At noon, online and phone sales begin. Tickets go on sale to non-members at noon, Saturday, February 16.

About Membership and Early Purchasing

To become a member today and enjoy early ticket purchasing, call our Membership Coordinator, Lorianne, at603-766-2176 or go online http://www.themusichall.org/support_us/memberships.

About The Music Hall

The Music Hall is a performing arts center featuring curated entertainment from around the world in two theaters in its downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire campus - one, a landmark 1878 Victorian theater, the other the intimate Music Hall Loft around the corner, recently named "best performing arts venue" by Yankee Magazine and the recipient of the NH AIA award for design excellence. Acclaimed signature series bring top authors and artists to both stages, while HD broadcasts and independent film fill both screens. A radio show broadcast on NH Public Radio originates here. This dynamic arts center urges patrons to Explore + Learn via master classes, post film panel discussions, and matinees for children. An anchor cultural organization in this historic working seaport, The Music Hall is one of downtown Portsmouth’s biggest employers and largest contributors to the regional economy: The Music Hall and its patrons contribute $7 million annually to the local economy through show and visitor related spending. Innovative in its outlook, the organization is community oriented and committed to making the Seacoast flourish. The Music Hall is 501c3 nonprofit managed by a professional staff with the assistance of a volunteer board. Though global in the scope of its artists and programs, The Music Hall operates independently with the support of 3,000 members, 300 business supporters and 40 community partners. Welcoming more than 100,000 patrons (including 20,000 children) each year from the tri-state area and beyond, The Music Hall is the region’s center for the performing arts, literature and education…easy to get to, impossible to forget. www.themusichall.org